BJP MP Subramanian Swamy on Wednesday stoked a fresh controversy by saying his party will unite the Hindus and will divide the minorities as much as possible.

BJP MP Subramanian Swamy on Wednesday stoked a fresh controversy by saying his party will unite the Hindus and will divide the minorities as much as possible. (Reuters)

BJP MP Subramanian Swamy on Wednesday stoked a fresh controversy by saying his party will unite the Hindus and will divide the minorities as much as possible. The Rajya Sabha MP also said that it is important to focus on three issues- that is corruption, development and the Ram Temple- to win the elections in politically crucial Uttar Pradesh. With BJP eying to achieve majority on its own in the 2017 UP Assembly election, his comments may give the opposition parties fresh ammunition to target the ruling party at the Centre. “Development is necessary to win election in the nation but it is not everything. To win the elections, it is important to focus on our priority. The conspiracy played against us in the past was to divide the Hindus and unite the minorities. But this time we will do just the opposite, we will unite the Hindus and will divide the minorities as much as possible,” Swamy told ANI.

The BJP leader also said it is impossible that the Ram Temple issue does not attract eyeballs at a time when election is scheduled to take place in Uttar Pradesh. Earlier in the day, he said, the Ram issue is a part of the party manifesto in 2014 and they can’t avoid delivering it. We’re not saying we are going to forcibly build it, we’re going to do it through Supreme Court, time for it to be heard and disposed off,” Swamy said.

Yesterday, Congress accused the BJP for selling the name of Lord Ram to siphon off a victory in Uttar Pradesh. “The Congress has nothing to do with the BJP constructing a museum there (Ayodhya), or the Samajwadi party organising things for the Ramayana mela. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is selling the name of Ram in the wake of coming UP polls,” said Congress leader D.P. Singh.

Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Katiyar, on the other hand, asked the BJP-led Central government to intensify its efforts to construct Ram temple in Ayodhya instead of giving ‘lollipop’ (Ram museum) to please the people, who are demanding the construction of the temple.

“It’s a big mistake; effort should be made to construct the Ram Mandir (temple); this “lolipapi” (handing over Ramayana Museum as lollipop to please the people who are demanding the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya) won’t work. People ask when will be the Ram Temple constructed? This (Ramayana Museum) is a lollipop, it doesn’t have much importance, and thus, they should make positive effort. I would have said this had I been there. It’s good that I did not go there,” Katiyar said.